Killbuck kids value respect, integrity at Veterans Day
The Killbuck Elementary fifth-grade trio of Cole Anderson, Jack Gautier and Easton Ewing presented the folding of the American flag, with Anderson talking about the meaning of each of the 13 folds in the flag.
Every year on Veterans Day, the student body at Killbuck Elementary goes all out to honor the servicemen and women who have stepped up in the name of freedom to serve their country, and on Monday, Nov. 11, a special Veterans Day ceremony at the elementary school took place that once again helped the students realize the sacrifices of those who served and the importance of the selflessness that accompanies such a commitment.
Taylor Enama, Killbuck intervention specialist, opened the ceremony by welcoming everyone, especially all the veterans in attendance.
“It is our privilege to say thank you to all of America’s heroes,” Enama said. “Veterans Day isn’t just a day for veterans. It is a day for all Americans to remember why (our veterans) were fighting. It is the day for all of us to begin our journey of protecting our freedom and the freedom of many successive generations. We can never fully repay our debt of gratitude.
“Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom. They have given their best for all of us, and we must continue to do our best by them.”
Littered throughout the program were instances of the elementary students stepping up to be a part of honoring area veterans.
Included in those efforts was the performance “American Tears” from the entire fifth-grade student body, which included solo performances from Gracie Grassbaugh and Cambree Garver.
In addition, the trio of Cole Anderson, Jack Gautier and Easton Ewing presented the folding of the American flag, with Anderson talking about the meaning of each of the 13 folds in the flag.
Providing the keynote speech during the ceremony was Army veteran Brant Kanuckel, who offered a message of hope with a focus on two main characteristics the students should pursue in life.
“I’ll start with respect,” Kanuckel said. “A lot of people today talk about respect, but they have a lot of trouble showing it. I think our society as a whole has lost the ability to treat others with respect.”
He said whether it is in the home, community, workplace, school or elsewhere, much of the lack of respect doesn’t center around individuals as much as it does around the lack of respect for authority.
Whether it is a boss, teacher, parent, government or civic leaders, or simply elders, Kanuckel said respect is something people need to work on.
“In the infantry I was taught I better respect the rank even if I didn’t respect the man,” Kanuckel said. “Otherwise, there would be consequences.”
He said while not all leaders are always good leaders or good people, learning to respect others is imperative.
“Let’s be honest: We won’t always consider everyone we meet worthy of respect, but as fellow human beings, we should always treat them as we want to be treated ourselves,” Kanuckel said.
He said the way each individual shows respect could become the deciding factor in how things turn out in any given situation.
His second trait centered on integrity: doing the right thing when nobody is looking.
“If you’re a person of integrity, how you feel about the other person isn’t as important,” Kanuckel said. “You do the right thing because of who you are, not whether or not they deserve your respect.”
He said while nobody is perfect, it is something to strive for, always being consistent in both actions and words and being someone others can count on and trust.
“Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do,” Kanuckel said. “That’s why many veterans choose to serve. This crazy world needs more people like that today, not to necessarily join the military, but those who choose to model a life that values respect for others and integrity of character.”
Finally, Kanuckel thanked each of the veterans who served their nation faithfully who were attending the ceremony that day, a group he said is deserving of the ultimate respect.
“I really want to thank the staff and the way you really pour yourselves into leading by example in what (Kanuckel) was saying about being respectful and living with integrity,” Killbuck Elementary Principal Brian Lash said following the ceremony.
Lash said while they can never express enough gratitude to those who have served their country, it is something the entire school can strive to accomplish because of the lessons that can be learned from their example.
The message of respect rang clearly, and when the students joined the attending veterans for a breakfast prior to the ceremony, they got to celebrate the dedication of those who have served their country, honoring them on this special day.